#80 Bit & Ortega Reins

This bit is a #80 G. S. Garcia Arizona style bit on a set of Ortega reins. The bit measures 6 & 1/4" wide by 9" long. The jello-mold conchos are 2 & 1/4" in diameter. The engraved buttons are 1/4" in diameter; the buttons on the bar are 1/2" in diameter.

The bit is hand-forged and hand engraved, inlaid with Silver. The #80 was available in coin silver with a loose or solid jaw, by special order. The maker's mark is authentic and period correct. The mark is present on the inside of both cheeks and reads: G. S. GARCIA / ELKO NEV. -- The inverted or 'backwards' N is evident, dating the bit to pre-1910. Unquestionably G.S. Garcia and highly collectible.

This is a set of early Ortega California style working reins. They are 1/4" closed reins attached to a 5/8" popper. The reins are 50" in length from the chains to the popper. The popper is 48" long. The reins are of natural rawhide color with a lovely patina from long use. The popper is more distinctive color-wise in that the knots are of a darker color. These reins (as well as the bit) have seen heavy use, but typical of such tremendous workmanship, these reins have held up as they should, with the only difference between now and the day they were braided being a darkening of the rawhide.

Each rein has 35 knots. The popper has 25 knots. They are of varying widths and braid patterns, all exquisitely rendered and evenly spaced. The leather at the end of the popper is 10 inches long and still supple. A beautiful example of Luis B. Ortega's early work.

Born in 1885 on the Spade S Ranch near Santa Barbara, Luis Ortega was a living connection to the golden era of California ranching. He was taught to braid rawhide as a child by a 104-year-old Chumash vaquero, Fernando Librado, who had worked cattle at the Spanish California missions in the 1830s. Ortega continued to braid rawhide gear as a young vaquero on West Coast ranches.

Luis Bierbant Ortega was a direct descendant of José Francisco de Ortega (1734-1798), one of the most influential citizens of early California. Sergeant José Francisco de Ortega served as chief scout for Don Gaspar de Portolá’s Spanish expedition to present-day California in 1769. He was the first European to discover the San Francisco Bay by land. Sergeant Ortega also established the San Diego, San Juan Capistrano and Santa Barbara presidios and was later commandante of the Loretto and Monterey settlements. In 1794, José Francisco de Ortega established the famed Rancho Nuestra Senora del Refugio near Santa Barbara.

The braiding traditions of early California vaqueros survived into the 20th century because many respected horsemen on the West Coast valued the subtle characteristics of braided rawhide gear. Numerous braiders gained a reputation for the quality of their reins, hackamores and reatas. They were careful to provide a core for the braiding with just the right amount of flexibility and for building reatas with no splices or weak spots in the rawhide strands. They prided themselves on reliable gear with clean, straight braiding.

In the late 1920's Luis Ortega began a relationship with the G.S. Garcia shop that lasted for many years. At that time, and for the next 15 years or so, Ortega reins were not the fancy show work that one often sees as examples of his work. However, it is well documented that he was charging a relatively high price for his work even during the early 1930's, as Les Garcia of the Garcia Saddlery in Elko, Nevada sent some reins back to Ortega, stating that they were not able to sell the pieces as such a high price, due to the depression.

Few braiders developed the clientele who would pay high prices for intricate and decorative braiding, which required triple or quadruple the number of hours to create. In this regard, Luis Ortega was the exception. His friendship with famed Western artist Ed Borein, who became his mentor and business advisor, exposed his work to the artistic and Western-oriented clientele who frequented Borein's studio and collected his work.

The two met in 1932, when Luis Ortega broke his arm in a horse corral. [In the photograph, the man on the left is Ed Borein and the man on the right is Luis Ortega. The photo was taken outside Borein's studio in 1934]. While in Santa Barbara seeing the doctor, he showed Western artist Ed Borein his braiding. Borein advised him to quit the footloose life of the vaquero and braid horse equipment full time. The artist admired the quality of Ortega’s work and encouraged him to braid rawhide on a more artistic level. He invited Ortega to share his studio, an opportunity Ortega took advantage of for seven pivotal years. This encouragement from a respected member of Santa Barbara’s art community convinced Ortega to pursue a new goal in his braiding career—rawhide artist. During this period he started braiding with finer rawhide strands and may have been the first California braider to interweave colored strands into his hackamores, reins and quirts.

At 36, he pursued his rawhide braiding full time. In 1938, he married Rose Smith, and settled in Santa Barbara. Well-known for his ability to gentle and train horses with the California-style hackamore, Ortega also wrote magazine articles and books that inspired horse enthusiasts throughout America. These methods of horsemanship and style of equipment, a legacy of the 19th century California vaqueros, are still in evidence today. Mr. Ortega passed away in 1999.

Information and photographs are from the Autry National Center and Legacy of Silver and Saddles.

Copyright © 2008-2014 Pure Cowboy